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The Lint Collector: The Bachelor, Take 2!

By Nora Zelevansky / January 11th, 2012

Phew. Thank goodness I get to finally watch. It's been pure torture to wait! Weirdly, it's also sort of like torture to watch. But such is the complexity that is The Bachelor.

And we're off to Sonoma, a place that I love and I'm afraid they might taint. I'm surprised that they let these chicks into wine country. I'm surprised they let his HAIR into wine country too. NOTE TO PRODUCERS: Paleeeeese stop styling his hair. It's AWFUL.

Kacie B. has the first one-on-one date (yes, there are several Kacies). She's cute and from Tennessee and yet another girl whose parents just made up the spelling of her name.

Courtney — the evil model — is hoping Kacie B. won't get the rose, which is not surprising. I'm just a little shocked that she didn't start her sentence with "cause I'm a model." Seriously, that should be a drinking game: Take a shot every time Courtney reminds us that she's a model, at least based on last week. Why? Cause she's a modeeel.

They get in a convertible Bronco, which I think is sort of the world's coolest car. They're in Downtown Sonoma, which is just a quaint square. I love it there. Kacie B. says Ben brings out things in her that she "hasn't been in touch with in a while." And I am starting to wonder if she's already about to say, "I'm falling for him."

Kacie B. says she has a secret to reveal: As a child, she … twirled a baton! That's a secret? She grabs a baton from the candy store. Ben feels a little emasculated by twirling a baton, walking down the street. And he should. She's kinda boring and lame. But whatever. At least she's not crying in a bathroom. They eat at The Girl & The Fig and I want to yell, "Order the burger!"

They talk about his dad. She says their chemistry is natural. I think it's non-existent, but Andrew (the hubby) says Ben F. just brings out the boring in people. Time will tell! She gets the rose. They kiss. Snoooooozeville. They go to a theater — Is this going to be one of those humiliating private concerts? Nope. Home videos of her and her dad. Why? I have no idea. These people barely know each other! Why would it mean anything to them?

But obviously this is just to push Ben's buttons about his Dad. Home videos etc. He's literally about to start crying. Then she is crying in a talking head. I mean, this isn't as bad as the roast for insecure Ashley, but … buzz kill for a date. She says, "She has found what could be a lifetime of love with Ben." It's been 3 hours, people!

Back at the house, the group date card shows up. I have no idea who is going because there are eleven of them and they're barely even familiar from last episode. Ben says, "That's a lot of pairs of legs." That's not at all superficial.

He's back in the town square again and they're doing a play. Eek. They "playwrights" are kids. Couldn't be more PG, I guess. They make the girls act like pigs, weasels and princesses. They request that the ladies do "sexy dances" and "jog in slow motion." Tricky with no bra, Blakely. She did not win praise from the kids.

Back at the house, Courtney also hates Lindzi, the horse girl who got the first impression rose last week. Is there anyone she doesn't hate?

Back on the date, crazy Jenna — who lost her mind last week — has to wear a beard for her part. Prettttty funny. Turns out that there is an audience, including some of Ben's closest friends. Do they not have something better to do? (Who am I kidding. I would be there in a hot second.) Interesting though that some of his peeps will get an early impression of some of the women.

On a side note, is it weird to involve middle schoolers in The Bachelor? Like are these kids going home and watching later episodes of Ben in a hot tub? Well, never mind that — Ben basically strips on stage and it is just WEIRD. The dental hygienist from Texas Nicki dressed as a donkey and she's super into him. Jennifer with auburn hair from Oklahoma City wins the Oscar for best performance (as a weasel?). The two blonds ask for kisses together because they got skipped during the play. Really though? At the same time?

The girls are not feeling Blakely (the VIP cocktail waitress — really, that's her job). Apparently, she's aggressive. She looks a little like she's in drag and she's got a LOT of teeth. I'll give them that. Ben starts talking to her and says she seems "grounded." Um. Really? Can you not see her CRAZY eyes? She's 34, so they call her a "cougar." No comment.

Someone named Samantha is hiding in the bathroom because she hates Blakely.

Back at the house, Courtney gets the one-on-one date. Kacie B. reads the date card, which says something about spinning a bottle. "How does that taste coming out of your mouth?" says Courtney. Um. The other girls don't even know what to say. Cause I'm a model …

And the first hot tub kiss goes to Jennifer "The Weasel." He's getting kind of down and dirty with her, so I think he'd be sort of wrong not to give her the rose.

Blakely announces that she's a Scorpio. I am too. Now, I sort of wish she hadn't said that. Second hot tub kiss goes to the old lady! And so does the rose. The girls are maaaaaaad. Jennifer cries and say she wants to fall in love, which I feel like is always a bad sign. You should want the actual person, not to be in love with some amorphous idea.

The one-on-one date starts and Ben brings his dog Scotch. If that dog has any instincts, it will whimper and hide from Courtney. Every girl in this house is wearing knee-high boots and shorts on her date.

And it's the season's first picnic! Courtney says she hasn't been asked out in a while. I think that's because, when you're doing coke at a club with whatever dude has bottle service, it's not officially a date.

She is pretty though. Her hand is on his knee. He says he has his career and is just looking for someone to share his life with and that she probably feels the same way. Yes. Courtney would like to model for the rest of her life. Or at least until she's a 34-year-old cougar like Blakely. Then she can just kill herself cause she's so damn old.

Ben loves Courtney and she is doing a good performance of normal, but mostly I think he's blinded by the fact that she's hotter than him. Ben asks, "Is this too good to be true?" Yes, Ben. It is. He parties hard and now he is growing up blah, blah, blah. I think she's bored out of her mind, but pretending to be interested. All I can think about is how, even if he picked her, one day he will watch this show and see her say to Kacie B., "How does that taste coming out of your mouth?"

At the end, she poses with her rose in front of camera and cackle — no joke. She's so doing this for her "career."

Time for the cocktail party and OMG his hair looks SO deeply bad! Lindzi tries to sell him on her being a farm girl. Blakely — who is safe this week — breaks up Samantha's one-on-one time and she's pissed. Apparently, they call Blakley, JUGS.

OMG — This has gotten looooong. Let me sum it up: Jenna is crying again. They blame Blakely. It has nothing to do with JUGS, but what can you do? She's the scapegoat and then she's crying. Ben finds her and tells her to "collect herself." Was that supposed to make her feel BETTER? OMG — everyone is crying. Jenna is under the covers on a bed!!!

Rose ceremony time: Crazy Jenna and the girl with the skunk hair go home. I think it's a good thing. Jenna needs to get home and find a psychiatrist STAT. See you next week (cause I'm a model …) when someone either passes our or dies during the rose ceremony.

Honestly, I don’t think Courtney is that awful. Well….maybe she is, but take a look at the moments beeetwn her and Ben and you can totally see why he’s keeping her there. She lets her guard down with him and is able to be quirky, fearless and fun. She picks up tarantulas, names them, and make him laugh by throwing him off-guard with silly comments. He’s having fun with her, and she’s really creating those moments of fun. He does need to further investigate her though – a girl with NO girlfriends probably has insecurity issues, she clearly needs a lot of attention and doesn’t handle herself well when her position is tested. This could end up being a classic case of a borderline geeky/shy dude latching on to the first pretty girl who gives him (too much) attention. If it all goes in the pooper he’ll have more confidence with how to handle women, but with a clearer head on his shoulders.